Hi,

I've got an 18000btu split a/c unit (Bergdorf) I bought a few years ago. I self-installed it in my portakabin office, and it worked beautifully for about 12 months, then slowly and noticeably got less & less effective over the next 6-8 months. Diagnosis - I didn't do the connection pipes up firmly enough, and the gas leaked out over time. It sat on the wall for the next 4-5 years, a few months back I decommissioned the cabin but kept the A/C unit.

Obviously, it needs new gas (R134 I think, but will confirm before I get any obviously). I'm also assuming I need to add some oil, but here come the questions....

1) How much oil? Roughly? Is it likely to have lost much as the leak was so slow?
2) How much gas? I can get 5kg of R134A for £35 locally, I'm guessing that would last me a lifetime even if I didn't cure the leak...
3) I'd like to re-use the piping. It's been indoors most of its life, and the only times it's been disturbed are when I've disturbed it, so it shouldn't be too distorted/fractured or work hardened. Plus it's going back into an indoor setting (the outside unit is under cover), so it should last years, right?

This is a self-install again by me (a capable amateur but not an a/c expert by any stretch), the building is basically a large shed, it's not for commercial or domestic use, so I don't need to follow codes, so long as I don't do anything stupidly dangerous.

Of course, if it would only cost, say £50ish to have someone come onsite & gas/oil/recommission it for me, then that's the route I'd take. Unfortunately I'm on a shoestring budget though, otherwise I'd be tempted to just buy another one.

Many thanks in advance for any advice.

Cheers!
Ade.